Jaundice. Yellowing of the sclera (white outer coat of eyeball) in jaundice. The yellowing is caused by an excess of bilirubin, a bile pigment, in the blood. The excess of bilirubin may have several causes: failure of the bile to reach the intestine due to obstruction of the bile duct or cholestasis; infection of liver cells, such as in hepatitis; or excessive destruction of red blood cells by blood infections (haemolysis).